


pair up in threes

by ohtempora



Category: Pitch (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Free Agency, Friendship, Post-Canon, Yuletide Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:53:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28276395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohtempora/pseuds/ohtempora
Summary: When Blip got traded, they offered him an extension. He figured it might be his last shot at a big contract. He took it.This is Ginny's best chance at a payday, too.
Relationships: Ginny Baker & Blip Sanders, Ginny Baker/Mike Lawson
Comments: 10
Kudos: 67
Collections: Yuletide 2020





	pair up in threes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [syllic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/syllic/gifts).



Blip's cell connection sucks in his new home — annoying as hell, he pays too much for this — and Ginny is grainy over Facetime, but her smile at seeing him is as wide as ever.

"Gin," he says. "How's it hanging?"

She snorts. "Evelyn sent me video of you at Marcus's fall Little League game. I should be asking you what’s up. I’m surprised you didn’t get kicked out."

"I don't care what the ump said, that was absolutely not a strike." 

"It's _Little League_."

Blip rolls his eyes. "Like you weren't that competitive when you played Little League. Don't lie."

"Got me there," Ginny admits, relaxing. She's not in her own apartment, he thinks, the one they all badgered her into getting after she came back from her surgery. 

"You at Mike's?"

"Yeah." She glances behind her. "Is it that obvious?"

"There's a giant framed jersey of his and a bunch of Gold Gloves behind you," Blip says. "And the Silver Slugger's a real giveaway. Don't think you're winning one of those anytime soon."

"I've gotten better at hitting," Ginny protests, which is a blatant lie. "He's here, he's just making dinner, he won't let me near the grill. Says I'll start a fire."

The last few times they've talked she's been at Mike's, which is interesting, since Mike now works as a hitting coach for the Angels, and lives in Anaheim. It's an hour and a half, but only if traffic is kind and you speed. 

"Are you staying in New York for the winter?" Ginny asks. 

"Kids have school, so," Blip says. "Gotta talk to Ev about it, but we might this time. Even though it'll be snowy as hell. But they like where they're at."

"I got you." 

There's a pause, and Blip tries to see what else he can through the small phone camera. There's a lot of Ginny's shit in Mike's living room, from what he can see. 

It's not news that they're together — he was the first person to know, outside of his wife; he kept it secret from the Padres for most of a season for her, too — but: "Gin, are you living there?"

She blushes. "Not, like, officially. I'm still paying for my apartment in San Diego. But it's the offseason, and like. Well, you know how much I hate driving back and forth."

"Mm-hmm."

"That's not why I called you."

"Yeah, if anything, Lawson better call me. Make sure I approve."

Ginny groans at him. "Go get overprotective at him on your own time. No, I — it's free agency."

"Ah." He sits back. "Thought we might end up here."

"It's just," she starts, sighs. "You left. And I'm not—"

"I was traded."

"Yeah. I didn't mean it like that. I meant, like — you re-signed with the Mets."

"Talked to other teams."

"Right."

But not the Padres. Their sell-off, the one he'd gotten wrapped up in, right before they really started pushing into contention. They traded him to Queens, Ginny cried, he cried, Lawson might've shed a tear or two into his beard. The Mets offered an extension, and Blip figured it might be his last shot at a big contract. He took it. He knows he's on the downswing on his career, but he made the right decision for him and his family. 

This is Ginny's best chance at a payday too. 

"How was that."

Blip smiles at her. "Thought you'd be a Padre for life, huh."

"I don't know." Ginny's chewing her lip like crazy. "I mean, yeah. And Mike was, so I thought — but then he retired and now he's working for the Angels. It’s a business, whatever. And Amelia says teams are interested. Good teams."

"Wouldn't have to balance winning and making money."

"Yeah."

"The Angels ask?"

She's still chewing her lip, and if he wasn't 3000 miles away he'd tell her to cut it out. That tic's hung around since they were in San Antonio together. He used to buy her sunflower seeds and hand her Double Bubble to get her to stop. 

"Yes," she says. "It's the Angels. They missed out on Cole a couple years ago and they always need pitching. Mike says they'll make a play for Flaherty when he hits free agency next year. But, you know."

"They know about you two?" Blip knows they've spent too much of their relationship being careful. Now that Mike's retired it's more an open secret, they'd end up on the front page of half the sports sections in America, and that's only a fun time if you're the newest World Series winner.

"The GM does. And I don't think that's why they're offering me a contract, I've seen their rotation, but it could get out."

"It's easier," he sums up, and Ginny smiles gratefully. 

“And you know,” she says. “There’s some more girls in the minors now. I don’t know if any of them will — I try and keep up, but I don’t know what level they’re all on. But I still gotta think, you know, they won’t all have a Mike. I don’t want to make it harder.”

“You won’t,” Blip says. “Jesus, Gin, you won’t. I know you.”

“I think about it, is all.” She turns. “Is that dinner?”

“Fresh off the grill.” Mike appears, steaks and glass of wine in hand. Blip notices how his eyes go to Ginny first, just like they always did. The man’s always been obvious when it came to her. “Who’re you talking to? Blip?”

“Yup.” Ginny flips the camera so he can see. “He’s staying in New York for the offseason.”

“Fucking cold,” Mike says, fakes a dramatic shiver. “But hey, you want company in your fancy New York condo, you let us know.”

“We’re all moved in here in the ‘burbs,” Blip says. “You wanna come see Long Island, we’ll take you out.”

“After the winter meetings,” Mike says. 

Ginny flips the camera around again and Blip looks at her. “Ginny,” he says. He doesn’t care if Mike hears this bit. “What other teams?”

“Um.” She glances down, presumably at a file in front of her. “Jays, Marlins. Padres have said they’ll make an offer but I don’t know what it’s going to be. Amelia said she thinks it’ll be less than the others, she wasn’t pleased. The Yankees are moving slow but they need a backend starter and there’ll be more action at winter meetings, apparently. Rockies, though I’m not sure about their front office. And Atlanta.”

They’re all legitimate options. Blip wants to win a World Series, but he wants Ginny to win one almost as bad. The Padres were never good enough — didn’t get Mike a ring, didn’t get Ginny a ring. Hell, didn’t get _him_ a ring. Couple that with being in the NL West and the Dodgers buzz saw, and he thinks free agency could be good for her. 

“Atlanta’s close."

“That’s what Mike said.”

“And far from Anaheim.”

“Yeah.”

“So,” Blip says. “What’s he gonna do if you take one of those offers?”

Mike pops up again onscreen, handing Ginny a glass of wine. “Go with her,” he says. “No shit, Sanders.”

“You got a job, Lawson.”

Mike’s laughing. “Lemme tell you, there’s a limit to how much even I can teach Mike Trout about hitting. There are—” he quirks his mouth. “There are other jobs. I’m not trying to manage right now. Atlanta’s great. So’s Miami, or Toronto. I warned her off Colorado for the front office bullshit. And hey, if it’s New York, then I get to see your games up close again.” He gestures his own wine glass. “I’m gonna get everything on the table, we’re eating outside.”

“Okay,” Ginny says, and she waits until he’s gone to start talking again. “He just offered,” she says. “He was like, I’m coming with you, so you can’t break up with me now.”

“Sounds like Lawson.”

“Yeah.” Ginny gives him what Blip privately thinks of as her best smile — secretive, dimpled, happy. “And it’s easier, not having to ask him. I think he knew that.”

Mike caught Ginny for multiple seasons, and her best game, still, was with him. Blip’s absolutely positive he knew.

“Good,” he says. 

“If it’s Atlanta we’ll have to play against each other,” Ginny says. She’s back to chewing on her lip.

“Last time that happened I was 2 for 4.” Blip smirks. If they weren’t apart right now he thinks Ginny would shriek and hit him, from the way she’s sputtering. “Look,” he says. “I know you gotta go eat dinner. But you deserve it, okay? The contract offers — let all those front offices woo you. Listen to Lawson’s advice, listen to your agent. And I’ll pick up the phone anytime. But don’t feel like you should sign with the Padres because you’re obligated.” He takes a breath. “I wanna see you win, Ginny.

“I want to see me win too.” She does, Blip can see it, and he’s glad she can say it. 

He keeps talking. “Ever since you came up in San Antonio and threw that complete game.”

“I remember that.” It’d been a hell of a game for them both. Ginny had a no-hitter through five, in no small part due to some of the catches Blip made in center field. He’d liked her beforehand, but after, celebrating - that’s when it started for both of them, a friendship that’s getting close to a decade old. 

“Call me before you decide for real, okay?”

“Obviously,” Ginny scoffs. “I gotta warn you if we’re going to be divisional rivals.”

“Yeah, but even if we aren’t.” 

“Okay,” Ginny says. “Okay, Mike’s waving at me through the screen door. Thanks, Blip.”

“You got it,” he says.

She wishes him goodnight and hangs up. 

Five months later, he goes hitless against her in her debut for Atlanta. Blip winks at her at the last swinging strike and walks off the field. 


End file.
